Basketball practice machine

ABSTRACT

A basketball practice machine includes a main body, a backboard, and a robot connected to the main body. The robot includes a bottom base rotatably connected to the main body and one or more arms, where one arm is rotatably connected to the bottom base. The backboard is connected to an end of one arm and may be oriented and fixed appropriately within a specified three-dimensional space.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a basketball practice machine or arcade game machine, and particularly, to a basketball arcade game machine or practice machine having a robot.

2. Description of Related Art

A basketball arcade game machine or practice machine, or can be called a basketball machine, for short, is an item of leisure or athletic equipment which is used for training basketball shooting. A commonly used basketball arcade game machine includes a main body, a backboard and a scoring counter. The backboard is mounted on the top of the main body and is capable of moving along a horizontal direction relative to the main body. The scoring counter is connected to the backboard and capable of counting the number of baskets scored and displaying a score. If the score of the game player in a predetermined period of time reaches a certain value, he can enter into the next level.

However, the backboard can only move along a horizontal direction relative to the main body, the trainee or game player may score easily after training for a period of time, and thus exhausts the achievable challenge of existing play levels, and joy of tackling a new challenge. Meanwhile, the backboard is mounted on the main body directly, thus, it is quite different from a standard basketball goal or stand, thereby providing a low degree of real basketball game playing simulation.

Therefore, there is room for improvement in the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the basketball machine. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Wherever possible, the same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like elements of an embodiment.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a basketball machine including a blocking mantle and a robot.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the basketball machine of FIG. 1 when the blocking net is omitted.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the robot of the basketball machine of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, an embodiment of a basketball practice machine 30 includes a main body 31, a robot 32 rotatably connected to the main body 31 and a backboard 33 connected to an end of the robot 32.

The main body 31 includes a base 311, a scoring board 312 mounted on the top of the base 311 and a blocking net 313 connected to the edges of the base 311. In the embodiment, the base 311 is substantially rectangular and the top surface of the base 311 includes a first inclined surface 3111, a second inclined surface 3112 and a third inclined surface 3113 which interconnect with one another. The tilt angles of the first, second and third inclined surfaces 3111, 3112, 3113 decrease in turn. The main body 31 further includes a stopping plate 314 located between the second inclined surface 3112 and the third inclined surface 3113. The stopping plate 314 is extendible telescopically relative to the base 311. The scoring board 312 is substantially rectangular and includes three display screens 3121 which display a shooting time allowed, a present score achieved and a highest score respectively. The main body 31 further includes a blocking rod 315 which is mounted in the middle of the opening of the blocking net 313.

Referring to the FIG. 3, the robot 32 includes a mounting base 321, a bottom base 322, a first arm 323, a second arm 324, a third arm 325, a fourth arm 326, a fifth arm 327 and a controller (not shown). The mounting base 321 is fixed to the main body 31, the bottom base 322 is rotatably connected to the mounting base 321. The first arm 323 is connected to a side of the bottom base 322. The side surface of the second arm 324 is connected to an end portion of the first arm 323 away from the bottom base 322. The third arm 325 is connected to an end portion of the second arm 324 away from the first arm 323. The third arm 325 defines a notch 3251 in the end furthest from the second arm 324. The fourth arm 326 is rotatably attached within the notch 3251. The fifth arm 327 is rotatably connected to the fourth arm 326. The angle and speed of the rotations of the bottom base 322, the first arm 323, the second arm 324, the third arm 325, the fourth arm 326 and the fifth arm 327 are all controllable.

The backboard 33 includes a blocking plate 331 and a basket 332 configured at a right angle to the blocking plate 331. The blocking plate 331 is fixed to an end of the fifth arm 327.

Referring to FIG. 1 through 3, when in use, the robot 32 may drive the backboard 33 to work in a three-dimensional space relative to the trainee or game player by means of the bottom base 322, the first arm 323, the second arm 324, the third arm 325, the fourth arm 326 and the fifth arm 327. The trainee or player can adjust the orientation of the backboard 33 to change the level of shooting difficulty via the controller. Moreover, since the backboard 33 is supported by the robot 32, therefore, the robot 32 may act as an arm for the standard basketball goal does in reality and provide more realism in simulation.

The blocking net 313 can collect the basketballs which have been thrown by the trainee. When the training is over, the stopping plate 314 may be extended out of the base 311 and keep the basketballs gathered on the inner side of the stopping plate 314. The stopping plate 314 can be retracted into the base 311 to enable the basketballs to roll out along the third inclined surface 3113 when the training or game play resumes (for example by putting a coin in a slot again), then the trainee or game player can shoot the basketballs once again.

In an alternative embodiment, the robot 32 can include just only a bottom base 322 and a first arm 323, in which the bottom base 322 is rotatably connected to the main body 31 and the backboard 33 connects with an end of the first arm 323 to enable the backboard 33 to work in a three-dimensional space by means of the bottom base 322 and the first arm 323.

The present disclosure is not to be limited to the terms of this disclosure. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements. 

1. A basketball machine, comprising: a main body; a backboard; and a robot connected to the main body, the robot comprising: a bottom base rotatably connected to the main body; and at least one arm rotatably connected to the bottom base, the backboard being connected to an end of the at least one arm.
 2. The basketball machine of claim 1, wherein the robot further comprises a mounting base connected to the main body, and the bottom base is rotatably connected to the mounting base.
 3. The basketball machine of claim 1, wherein the at least one arm comprises a first arm, and the first arm is connected to a side of the bottom base.
 4. The basketball machine of claim 3, wherein the at least one arm further comprises a second arm, a third arm, a fourth arm and a fifth arm; the second arm is connected to an end portion of the first arm away from the bottom base, the third arm is rotatably connected to an end of the second arm away from the first arm, the third arm defines a notch in the end furthest from the second arm, the fourth arm is rotatably attached within the notch, the fifth arm is rotatably connected to the fourth arm, and the backboard is fixed to an end of the fifth arm.
 5. The basketball machine of claim 4, wherein the robot further comprises a controller, and the angle and speed of the rotations of the bottom base, the first arm, the second arm, the third arm, the fourth arm and the fifth arm are controlled by the controller.
 6. The basketball machine of claim 1, wherein the main body comprises a base and a scoring board mounted on the top of the base.
 7. The basketball machine of claim 6, wherein the base comprises a top surface, the top surface comprises a first inclined surface, a second inclined surface and a third inclined surface which interconnect with one another, and the tilt angles of the first, second and third inclined surfaces decrease in turn, the main body further comprises a stopping plate located between the second inclined surface and the third inclined surface, and the stopping plate is extendible telescopically relative to the base.
 8. The basketball machine of claim 6, wherein the main body further comprises a blocking net connected to the edges of the base.
 9. The basketball machine of claim 6, wherein the scoring board comprises three display screens for displaying a shooting time allowed, a present score achieved and a highest score, respectively.
 10. The basketball machine of claim 1, wherein the backboard comprises a blocking plate and a basket configured at right angle to the blocking plate.
 11. A basketball machine, comprising: a main body comprising a blocking net connected to edges of the main body; a backboard; and a robot connected to the main body, the robot comprising: a bottom base rotatably connected to the main body; and at least one arm rotatably connected to the bottom base, the backboard being connected to an end of the at least one arm.
 12. The basketball machine of claim 11, wherein the main body comprises a base, and the blocking net is connected to the edges of the base.
 13. The basketball machine of claim 12, wherein the main body further comprises a blocking rod, and the blocking rod is mounted in the middle of an opening of the blocking net.
 14. The basketball machine of claim 11, wherein the at least one arm further comprises a first arm, a second arm, a third arm, a fourth arm and a fifth arm; the first arm is connected to a side of the bottom base, the second arm is connected to an end portion of the first arm away from the bottom base, the third arm is rotatably connected to an end of the second arm away from the first arm, the fourth arm is rotatably connected to an end of the third arm away from the second arm, the fifth arm is rotatably connected to the fourth arm, and the backboard is fixed to an end of the fifth arm.
 15. The basketball machine of claim 14, wherein the third arm defines a notch in the end furthest from the second arm, and the fourth arm is attached within the notch.
 16. The basketball machine of claim 11, wherein the main body further comprises a base and a scoring board mounted on the top of the base.
 17. The basketball machine of claim 16, wherein the base comprises a top surface, the top surface comprises a first inclined surface, a second inclined surface and a third inclined surface which interconnect with one another, and the three tilt angles of the first, second and third inclined surfaces decrease in turn.
 18. The basketball machine of claim 17, wherein the main body further comprises a stopping plate located between the second inclined surface and the third inclined surface, and the stopping plate is extendible telescopically relative to the base. 